Using Total Rewards RC for meals etc.

I have a ton of RCs saved up which I'm planning to use for meals. How does it work? Do I just hand my Total Rewards card to the server at the restaurant or do I charge to my room and then use Total Rewards at the front desk when I check out?

 

Total Rewards

I charge to my room and then use Total Rewards at the front desk when I check out.

 

You can give your card to the server and then tip cash.

You can put it on the room, and take care of it at checkout. If you put tips on the room, you can take care of that by cash or credit card at checkout.

 

If you aren't staying at a CET property, just give it to the server as you would a credit card for payment. RCs are a wonderful thing! Some places won't take it for payment tho, so make sure you ask before you proceed. A few of the retail shops told me no the last time I went, but a majority of the restaurants will.

 

Is it not the case that if you charge to your room you will pay the taxes on the meals but if you pay with your RCs direct at the restaurant you won't?

 

You charge your meals to your room. On check out you pay using points.

 

We never charge to the room since I learned years ago that you pay the sales tax then. If you hand your TR card to the server, tax is removed and you only pay for the meal.

 

Agreed, you should always pay with points to avoid sales tax. Charging to your room makes the meal 8.1% more expensive.

 

Thanks for letting me know about that. I try to save money wherever I can and I already pay far more than my fair share of taxes.

 

There are a few restaurants that DO NOT take reward card, e.g. Mon Ami Gabi or the Eiffel Tower Restaurant - their bar does accept it.
Those you will have to charge to your room or I believe you can get a voucher from the TR desk. Below is the current list on the CET TR Q & A list for Quick rewards.

https://totalrewards.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1430/kw/las%20vegas%20restaurants

 

Can you tip using RC as well or does that have to be in cash?

 

None of the programs allow you to use points for tips. None.

Pay those in cash, or use credit card. We have decided to do it in cash at all times to avoid any confusion. We write CASH on the tip line and total it out.

 

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but if I'm not staying at a Caesars resort, can I partially pay for a meal with RCs? I have about $50 in credits, could I get say a $100 meal, apply the credits and pay the remaining $50 cash? Or does the RCs need to completely cover the meal?

 

Yes you can partially pay with RC and the rest with cash, CC, etc.

 

I have always paid with RCs rather than charging to my room for this exact reason (avoiding taxes). But I had a confusing experience at Le Central at Caesar's last year. Paid with RCs and waiter included taxes. I questioned him and he said that CET had changed that policy several months prior and now taxes were being collected (and deducted from RCs). This was early on in our trip and it was the only CET restaurant that charged me taxes when I paid with RCs.
Maybe that waiter is collecting a bonus tip of 8.1% for himself

 

My experience has been that when you pay part of the bill with RCs you pay all of the tax - there is no partial reduction, it is all or nothing